The Sunday News
Phineas Mukwazo recently in Insuza
HER vision is to empower herself by acquiring advanced football coaching qualifications, produce a football star from a rural set-up who will go all the way to surpass the exploits of her late father, a legendary figure who once donned the black and white strip of the country’s soccer powerhouse, Highlanders.
Her name is Tumalza Sisa Ncube. And her legendary father was none other than Fanuel “Launcher Ncane’’ Ncube (now late), a Highlanders captain who led the Bulawayo giants to famous victories especially in 1986 when the black and white outfit swept all the knock-out tournaments on offer.
Sunday Leisure caught up with her strutting her stuff at a mini netball and football tournament hosted by Hlanganani Primary School in Insuza on Wednesday.
Sisa’s school, Mathabiswana Primary, was playing the host team in preparatory games ahead of cluster competitions her school will host next Saturday before of the zonal, district and provincial finals. Sigonde Primary School in the same area will host both the zonal and district games on 8 July and 10 July, while the provincial finals will be staged in Nkayi on 15 July.
Hlanganani won both the B and A teams’ netball contests with 18 nets against 11 and 26-22 respectively.
However, the Sisa Ncube coached Mathabiswana came strongly in football beaten by Hlanganani B team 2-0 before their senior team battled to a goalless draw.
In the reverse fixtures played at Mathabiswana a week earlier, the home side won all the football contests.
“All the games are important for us. We were using these games as preparations for the cluster and district finals. Of course we have always beaten Hlanganani, that is why as you can see they are happy with the goalless draw today,’’ said Ncube.
Asked why she exuded passion for football instead of netball, Ncube said: “It runs in the blood. I have never played football competitively. But got interested in the sport when I was a little girl, when I used to find my way to Barbourfields Stadium to watch my father play.’’
The 31-year-old is one of Fanuel Ncube’s two children, and both are girls.
“Soccer is in the blood in fact I prefer soccer to netball,’’ she emphasised.
“I have witnessed talent in this place. If only our academies could come here and adopt only one player, that could prove a big motivating factor to these youngsters. They are a whole bunch of talent,’’ said Sisa.
Among the talent that has either gone to waste or budding, she singled out young Agrippa Ndlovu from her school Mathabiswana, Onesimo Ndlovu formerly at Hlanganani and Alex Ncube from Sigonde.
“I also have talent in this current A side, as you witnessed the skills shown by Oliver Ndlovu, Handsome Ndimande, and Agrippa Ndlovu. It is unfair to single out only the three, the whole team is brimming with talent,’’ said Sisa.
Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumed, who was the club chairman during Ncane’s playing days in the late 1980s, went down memory lane and applauded Sisa’s “noble” initiative.
“He (late Fanuel Ncube) was a dependable, very effective but clumsy player, a very humble man, they called Ncane, or Vala Ngebhetshu,’’ said Gumede.
He wished Sisa success in her new endevours of nurturing talent at her school, while also pledging to assist her and her school.
“As you know we have an outreach programme with Orap. We will avail things like balls to her school through the programme. She will get full support from the team (Highlanders) that did not invent football but perfected it,’’ promised Gumede.
Ncube was part of the formidable squad that had the likes of Tito Paketh, Tobias Mudyambanje, Alexander Maseko, Douglas “British’’ Mloyi, Ronnie Jowa, Peter “Oxo’’ Nkomo, the late Titus Majola, Dumisani Ngulube, Dumisani Nyoni, Willard Khumalo, Madinda Ndlovu, Mercedes Sibanda, Morgan Phiri among others.
Ncube, who had moved to Botswana, died tragically in the 90s when he was hit by a car.
